Latest Updates

It’s been a gorgeous summer so far. A good mix of hot and cool temperatures, rain and lots of sunshine have made this year’s planting of herbs and vegetables a dream here at the foodiePrints household. While Don and I have always planted our own crops of food, this year we really got into it thanks to the #PlantitForward initiative from Kashi Canada. The Kashi Plant it Forward campaign is a partnership between Kashi and Evergreen, a national not-for-profit organization that inspires action to green cities. The goal of the campaign is to support and... | Continue reading article

“Better Food For All,” states Sobeys’ marketing material, be it in ad-space online or in print-space on flyers or free commuter newspapers. Even two-rung bicycle racks in Ottawa’s downtown core have been pressed into service. Those of us in the National Capital Region who readily consume increasingly location-specific social media, our feeds seem replete with Sobeys-sponsored mentions lately. “Better Food News.” “Better Summer #summerofsizzle” “Eat Better, Feel Better and Do Better” … with Jamie Oliver “#BetterBurgers,” all chuck… neither additives nor preservatives Founded in Stellarton, Nova Scotia by John W. Sobey in 1907, the now... | Continue reading article

Weather-wise, May was a strange month. Hot summery temperatures were followed by cool brisk days and frosty nights. My principal raised her eyebrow when I turned up to work one day in shorts and a tank top, only to laugh when she noticed black dress pants and a tailored shirt over my arm. We had two frost warnings. Don and I saw people walking around in their North Face jackets in the evenings. I had a few seedlings wither away during the second frost because I forgot to cover up my pots. I really should... | Continue reading article

Every year, during the weeks leading up to Halloween, there echoes a familiar warning to anyone cobbling together materials for their costumes. Be wary of promulgating tired stereotypes by appropriating another culture’s dress. Accordingly, “Indian brave” outfits of tan-coloured chaps, colourful beads, primary-coloured face paint, and faux feathered headdresses are cliché. They should be avoided, especially if made from Dollar-store gleanings. Along the same lines, you’d best not opt for a mash-up of traditional Japanese geisha and 1980s supermodel. Keep that fluorescent pink bath robe in the bedroom. Food-wise, celebrity chef Jamie Oliver faced public... | Continue reading article

Ever since the Dairy Farmers of Canada‘s Anyday Magic challenge ended, I have been itching to work on a recipe project with a dairy product. Anyday Magic operated under the following parameters: there was a monthly challenge, usually themed like “Sunday brunch” or “party food”; participants signed on to compete with a maximum of three per individual “theme”; recipes had to employ cream (or milk), butter, or cheese, preferably Canadian; the Internet-going public weighed-in by voting for their favourite dish. Mostly, the prize was bragging rights. We at foodiePrints participated since the challenge’s inception, vowing... | Continue reading article

A chilly Monday morning started the work week with my office colleagues and I assembling offsite for a planning exercise. One by one, we climbed four flights of wooden stairs and took seats in a boardroom atop a converted 19th century home that was lovingly renovated and meticulously maintained since the 1950s. A little over a month into the new fiscal year, we took the opportunity to inventory our accomplishments and strategize our approach for the coming months. Why the corporate narrative? The ice breaker was a round table question, how did you fete your... | Continue reading article

As the adage goes, “Never meet your heroes!” Such is especially true if you choose to idolize popular media personalities. Firstly, should you have the opportunity, you won’t make much of an impact by telling them you’re a starstruck fan. Being “celebrities” they’ve heard it all before. Dawning less than genuine smiles, your heroes will respond with something friendly, something practiced, something canned. When you manage to compose yourself and form full sentences again, you will share an embarrassing anecdote they won’t care to hear. Owing to a punishing schedule, they are likely contractually obligated... | Continue reading article